Strawberry jello cake with cream cheese icing

This amazing and easy Strawberry Cake is made with a strawberry cake mix, shredded coconut, pecans, and a bit of strawberry Jello for color.

The cake is topped with strawberry cream cheese icing and could not be more delicious. It tastes just like an Italian cream cake, only strawberry flavored!

Best Strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting

I love cake recipes that start with a box of cake mix. Less mess and they’re so light and fluffy and easy to make.

This amazing strawberry cake has an extra addition of strawberry jello to create a huge boost of flavor that will have you coming back for “just one more piece.” 

The cake is topped with homemade cream cheese frosting that balances out all the various flavors perfectly. Sure, you could use store-bought but I promise you that you can’t top the taste of making it yourself. (The frosting has fresh strawberries and shredded coconut added for an over-the-top flavor!) 

I highly recommend making this simple and sharing it with all your family and friends.

Why Should You Make This Easy Strawberry Cake?

• Easy – The batter starts with a cake mix so it is simple to make and so delicious! The boxed cake batter is made even better with strawberry jello, fresh strawberries, pecans, and shredded coconut.
• Homemade cream cheese frosting – You can’t beat the taste of this amazing frosting infused with fresh strawberries and sweet coconut
• Makes enough to serve a large crowd – Everyone can enjoy a piece and you’ll still have some leftover. 

Strawberry Cake with Jello Ingredients + Notes

(Ingredients at a glance, you will find the full recipe with ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

Cake:

• White cake mix | Regular white cake mix. (15.25 oz box)
• Strawberry Jello | You want to use regular strawberry jello (not sugar free) in the smaller 3 oz. box (the one that serves 4.) You can mix up the flavor of jello as well to change up the flavor of the cake. Lemon for lemon cake, orange for orange cake, etc…
• Chopped strawberries | Fresh strawberries work best, however, frozen can be used. If using frozen, I suggest adding the berries to a fine-mesh sieve and pressing the excess liquid out with a spatula.
• Oil | Neutral tasting oil (like vegetable oil) works best in this strawberry cake recipe. 
• Milk | Either low fat or whole milk works fine in this recipe.
• Eggs | (Large) Eggs are important in this cake as they add structure and flavor to the cake.
• Sweetened coconut flakes | Sweetened coconut flakes are moister and sweeter than unsweetened flakes. The sweetened version works best in baking.
• Pecans | Natural/ unsalted pecans. You can chop them by hand or purchase pecan pieces. 

Cream Cheese Frosting: 

• Cream cheese | You want full-fat cream cheese. Make sure it is in block form and not the whipped version sold in a tub. The cream cheese needs to be at room temperature.
• Butter | Butter should be softened, but not melted. I prefer using salted butter in my frosting, however, if you only have unsalted, just add a pinch of salt when mixing. 
• Confectioners sugar |
• Chopped strawberries | I recommend using fresh strawberries in the frosting. Frozen berries have too much moisture and could lead to a runny frosting.
• Sweetened shredded coconut | 

How to make Strawberry cake with jello

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly grease and flour 2 – 9 inch cake pans.
3. Gently mash 1 cup of chopped strawberries.
4. Add the cake mix, jello, oil, milk, eggs, and strawberries into a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Fold in the coconut and pecans.
5. Divide the cake mix into the two prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 28 to 30 minutes until they start to turn golden brown, pull away from the sides, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool cakes in pans on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Remove the cakes from the pan and allow them to cool completely on the wire rack.) Make sure the cakes are cooling right side up to avoid cracking.
7. Prepare the frosting while the cakes are cooling: Gently mash remaining strawberries and discard the liquid.
8. Beat cream cheese and butter together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Slowly add the sugar to the bowl and continue mixing on low.
9. Add strawberries and beat the frosting for another minute, fold in coconut. Set aside in the fridge.
10. To assemble the cake, place the 1st layer on a serving tray, right side up. Top with frosting. Add 2nd cake layer on top of frosting layer. frost the top and sides of the cake.
11. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Recipe Tips

• Completely cool the strawberry cake layers before frosting.
• Frosting must stay in the fridge until ready to use. If the frosting seems a bit runny, you can mix in a bit more confectioners sugar to stiffen it up.
• Store the strawberry cake in the fridge until ready to serve.  

FAQ’s

Do I have to use Strawberry Jello in this strawberry Cake Recipe?

No, the Jello is used to add bright pink color and a more intense strawberry flavor to the cake. You can definitely leave it out if you wish. The cake will still be delicious, just with a milder strawberry flavor.

I Don’t Like Coconut (Or Nuts) Can I Leave Them Out?

Of course! If you don’t like pecans or coconut, just leave them out. The strawberry cake with jello will still taste amazing without the additional add-ins.

Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?

Yes, you can use frozen strawberries instead of fresh ones. One thing to keep in mind with frozen strawberries is that they will produce a bit more liquid when defrosted.

So when making the frosting, make sure to squeeze out as much of the excess strawberry liquid as you can, otherwise, your frosting will be runny. I recommend putting the thawed berries into a fine-mesh sieve and pressing the juice out with a spatula before adding to the frosting mix.

Why Did My Cake Sink In The Middle?

You may have a sunken middle to your cake if you use frozen strawberries and don’t remove enough moisture. It could also mean your cake is underbaked. If a cake isn’t fully baked, the center doesn’t have a chance to set and it will sink as it cools.

Can I Make This Strawberry Cake In A Regular Cake Pan?

Yes. I have made this cake as a layer cake, but also in a 13 by 9 pan with no issues. You will need to increase the cooking time to 32 to 35-ish minutes for a 13 by 9 pan. (Or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.)

I have frosted the cake in the pan and have also flipped it out onto foil-covered cardboard and frosted it all the way around the cake. If you frost the cake in the pan, you will have leftover frosting. (The strawberry cream cheese frosting is great on toast or bagels!)

Can This Strawberry Cake Be Made Ahead Of Time?

Absolutely. You can definitely bake the cake ahead of time. The cake layers can be baked, cooled, covered tightly, and stored in the fridge overnight. Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before decorating/serving.

How To Store This Strawberry Cake 

Since the cake and frosting are made with fresh strawberries, the cake is best stored in the fridge, for up to a week. If you would like to freeze the leftover cake, wrap it in foil and freeze it for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.

More Delicious Cake Recipes

• Tres Leches Poke Cake
• Apple Bundt Cake Recipe
• Easy Carrot Poke Cake
• Easy Cherry Dump Cake Recipe
• Easy Strawberry Trifle with Pound Cake
• Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

Tried this Strawberry Cake?

Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image on Instagram or Facebook, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmomrecipes!

Print

Description

This amazing and easy Strawberry Cake is made with a strawberry cake mix, shredded coconut, pecans, and a bit of strawberry Jello for color. The cake is topped with strawberry cream cheese icing and could not be more delicious.

Cake:

• 1 package of white cake mix
• 1 3 oz package of strawberry jello
• 1 cup of chopped strawberries
• 1 cup of oil
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup of sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Frosting

• 8 oz Cream cheese, room temp
• 8 tablespoons butter, room temp
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 3/4 cup chopped strawberries
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly grease and flour 2 9 inch cake pans.
3. Gently mash 1 cup of chopped strawberries.
4. Add the cake mix, jello, oil, milk, eggs, and strawberries into a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Fold in the coconut and pecans.
5. Divide the cake mix into the two prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 28 to 30 minutes until they start to turn golden brown and pull away from the sides.
6. Cool cakes in pans on a wire cooling rack for 1o minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Remove the cakes from the pan and allow them to cool completely on the wire rack.) Make sure the cakes are cooling right side up to avoid cracking.
7. Prepare the frosting while the cakes are cooling:  Gently mash remaining strawberries and discard the liquid.
8. Beat cream cheese and butter together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Slowly add the sugar to the bowl, 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing on low.
9. Add strawberries and beat the frosting for another minute, fold in coconut. Set aside in the fridge. 
10. To assemble the cake, place the 1st layer on a serving tray, right side up. Top with frosting. Add 2nd cake layer on top of frosting layer. frost the top and sides of the cake.
11. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe
• Calories: 753
• Fat: 55
• Carbohydrates: 116
• Protein: 9

Keywords: strawberry cake, strawberry jello cake, strawberry cake with jello

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